Assessment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) 1002 Area

The “1002 area” is a 1.5-million-acre part of the coastal plain that holds potentially large oil and gas resources, and is an important wildlife habitat. In recognition of these facts, a decision regarding whether this area should be opened to petroleum exploration has been deferred since the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1980. A report on the resources (including petroleum) of the 1002 area was submitted in 1987 to Congress by the Department of the Interior. The USGS in 1998 conducted an updated petroleum resource assessment, which remains the most recent, public-domain perspective of oil and gas potential. The results of that assessment and reports summarizing the geological science on which the assessment was based are available through the links below: